Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Azerbaijan’s Cabinet of Ministers passes decision permitting to shoot down
aircrafts violating country’s airspace

[ 18 January 2013 17:01 ]
*If the aircraft does not obey the demand to land, the legislation permits
to shoot it down*

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. The Cabinet of Ministers confirmed the `Rule
on the use of the airspace of Azerbaijan Republic’.

The rules prepared in line with the law on aviation, Convention on
International Civil Aviation Association (ICAO) (Chicago Convention
December 7, 1944) and its appendixes, cover air traffic security, use of
the country’s airspace. The document determines 13.5/25km-wide borderline
strip used in the special regime along the state border.

According to the document, banned zones and limited zones can be determined
in the airspace of Azerbaijan. When necessary, taking into account the
state interests the State Civil Aviation Administration can determine
certain parts of the airspace as banned or limited zones basing on the
proposals of the relevant executive authorities. Use of airspace in the
banned and limited zones is prohibited.

`Umbrella’ signal is given in exceptional cases when unidentified or
material objects appear in the airspace. This signal envisages immediate
landing or leaving the area (except planes involved to fight against
aircrafts violating the rules and those exercising rescue functions).

The violations of the rules of use of Azerbaijan’s airspace were found. The
use of air space without sending poll (table, graphic), warning military
air forces’ bodies, the poll before coming into force and after ending of
period of poll’s validity and without the permission of relevant operative
body, non-fulfillment of teams of flights governing bodies and
fighter-interceptor aircraft, implementation of the flights for monitoring,
use of airspace of banned and limited zones without special permission etc
are considered the violation of airspace’s rules.

In case of failure of the order to stop the violations in connection with
the flight of the aircraft under the decision of the command post
operations, duty airplanes (or helicopters) are raised into the air and
forcing the above-mentioned aircraft to land at the nearest airport. If the
aircraft does not obey the demand to land and there is no exact information
about guiltless passengers on the board, the legislation permits to shoot
it down.

From: Baghdasarian

Iranian province to export petrochemicals to Armenia

Tabriz, East Azarbaijan prov, Jan 20, IRNA – East Azarbaijan province
is to export petrochemical productions to Armenia soon.

According to provincial official Ghlomali Rasti, an agreement was
signed between the northwestern Iranian province and an Armenian
delegation on export of such items as combine and tractor parts to
Armenia in near future.

In the agreement, he said, the province has voiced readiness to sell
tractor spare parts and petrochemical items to Armenia.

The two parties also agreed to raise the volume of exchanges by 30 percent.

The present volume of exchanges between Armenia and East Azarbaijan
stands at about dlrs 200 million annually.

1424**1422

Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1055266

From: Baghdasarian

Day of lying Azerbaijani propaganda

NEWS.AM
January 20, 2013 | 10:08

By Ivan Gharibyan

January 20 is a day of `national mourning’ in Azerbaijan. This is the
Aliyev clan’s interpretation of the tragic events in Baku in January
1990. The Azeri state propaganda has taken one episode out of the
entire context of the tragic events – the entry of Soviet troops to
Baku, which was the only way of establishing law and order in the
city, with numerous acts of brutal violence and ethnic murders being
committed there.

For nearly 25 years the tragic events in Azerbaijan have been
designated as `suppression of the Azerbaijani people’s aspiration for
freedom.’ So what does, according to the Aliyev clan, the `Azerbaijani
people’s aspiration for freedom and independence’ mean? Nothing but
mass pogroms of the local Armenian population in several cities,
including the capital, gang rapes, including statutory rapes, burning
people alive.

And now the rising generation in Azerbaijan is sure that, all of a
sudden, the Soviet leaders decided to introduce troops into peaceful
Baku, and those troops proved to be `extremely cruel.’ And no one even
asks: Why did the Kremlin order the troops to enter the capital of one
of the Soviet republics? No. But we can only hear `moving’ speeches
about the `totalitarian Communist regime, which committed a terrorist
act against the Azerbaijani people.’ By the way, everything turns out
tragically absurd at this point as well: the `national leader’ Heydar
Aliyev, who saved the Azerbaijani people from all the troubles, was an
outstanding representative of the `totalitarian Communist regime.’

Xenophobia, the very essence of present-day Azerbaijan, has been
especially obvious over the last few days. The official propaganda
inadvertently betrays one of the pillars of the present-day ideology
of `prospering’ Azerbaijan – no room for other ethnic groups,
especially ones practicing other religions, in the country. This is
the conclusion one can draw from the numerous interpretations of the
events in January 1990 offered by Azerbaijan. Of course, according to
official Baku propaganda, beatings, rapes and murders on January 13-19
were not a tragedy. Moreover, nothing like that had ever happened. But
the entry of Soviet troops to Baku on January 20 was `a national
disaster.’

The fundamental principles of the Aliyev clan’s propaganda are nothing
but a manifestation of neofascism: Armenian citizens of the
Azerbaijani Soviet Republic could be murdered in cold blood without
any problems, and those murders were manifestations of `the
Azerbaijani people’s aspiration for freedom and independence.’ But
killing the participants in the Armenian pogroms as Soviet troops
entered Baku was a `tragedy’ – they were Azeris!

Yes, January 20 is a tragic date for the Azerbaijanis. It is a real
tragedy when thugs and murderers are officially declared national
heroes, when `a Shahids’ lane’ is built in their honor for people,
like a herd of cattle, to go up there to pay homage to the
cut-throats’ memory.

From: Baghdasarian

Baku urges Minsk Group to be firm in Karabakh airport issue

Sun 20 January 2013 06:53 GMT | 6:53 Local Time
Novruz Mammadov

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group should show a greater activeness
and principality in Karabakh airport issue.
The attempts of the Armenian side to open an airport in Nagorno
Karabakh are aimed at undermining the negotiation process of the
peaceful resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno
Karabakh.
The statement came from deputy chief of the presidential
administration of Azerbaijan, chief of the department for external
ties of the presidential administration of Azerbaijan Novruz Mammadov.
He said Azerbaijan’s position is known worldwide and it is supported
by everyone including ICAO.
`However, we believe that the world community including the co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group should show a greater activeness and
principality in this issue’, he said.
As for the recent statements of the Armenian President, Serzh
Sargsyan, Mammadov noted that all statements of the Armenian
leadership are aimed at retaining power.
`As usual, they use the Karabakh card for this purpose. But they
should realize that by such destructive statements they harm not only
the peace process but also the interests of the Armenian people’, he
said.
`Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has always been firm about its principles.
The Armenian leadership is still unconstructive in the negotiation
process’, he said.
As for the transfer of the Russian arms to Armenia, Mammadov said that
this issue is the focus of official Baku and Azerbaijan will express
its position by results of studying it.
News.Az

From: Baghdasarian

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
La ville italienne de Bari a reconnu le génocide arménien

La ville de Bari (Italie) cité portuaire de plus de 300 000 habitants
a officiellement inauguré un khatchkar arménien. Le khatchkar était
prêt depuis 11 ans déjà, `uvre de l’architecte Achot Krikorian. Mais
pour de multiples raisons, l’inauguration du khatchkar avait été
reportée. Sous l’impulsion de la petite communauté arménienne de Bari
et des autorités municipales, l’inauguration du khatchkar sur l’une
des places importantes de la ville fut réalisée. Le khatchkar est sur
le boulevard côtier de Bari où des milliers d’Arméniens rescapés du
génocide avaient mis le pied il y a près d’un siècle. Le représentant
de l’Eglise arménienne en Italie ainsi que de l’Eglise catholique
arménienne étaient présents à la cérémonie. La grande surprise fut
venue par un document émanant de la mairie de Bari reconnaissant le
génocide arménien. Ainsi, selon un représentant de l’Ambassade
d’Arménie en Italie, Bari complète la liste de 70 villes italiennes
qui ont reconnu le génocide arménien. Selon l’architecte Achot
Krikorian, il existe à Bari 11 témoignages architecturaux de la
présence arménienne dans la ville, dont l’église Sourp Krikor
Loussavoritch (Saint Grégoire l’Illuminateur) et le complexe
monastique Sourp Kevork (Saint Georges).

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 20 janvier 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Mehr News Agency (MNA), Iran
January 17, 2013 Thursday

Don Quixote, Hamlet to meet on stage at Fajr festival

TEHRAN, Jan. 17 (MNA) – The Iranian stage director Maryam Motaref will
stage “The Knight and the Sword-bearer”, a play on a fantasy meeting
of Don Quixote and Hamlet, during the 31st Fajr International Theater
Festival. Written by the Armenian dramatist Zorayr Khalapyan in 2003,
the play has been translated into Persian by Andranik Khochumian. A
cast of 20 actors will stage the play in two performances on January
22 at the Samandarian Hall of the Iranshahr Theater Complex. Among
the actors are Afshin Zarei, Esmaeil Bakhtiari, Reza Emami, Mehdi
Rahimi, Reza Alavi, Kambiz Talaei and Sharareh Purkhorasani. The
tragicomedy is about one of Don Quixote’s adventures, during which he
meets Hamlet. Tehran’s halls are currently hosting the Fajr
International Theater Festival, which runs until January 31. SB/YAW
MNA END

From: Baghdasarian

The Peninsula, Qatar
January 13, 2013 Sunday

Guiragossian works go on show at The Pearl

Photo: From left: Jean Paul Guiragossian, Manuella Guiragossian and
Emmanuel Guiragossian addressing the media at the Anima Gallery at the
Pearl Qatar here yesterday.
(Salim Matramkot)

By Isabel Ovalle

DOHA: The first exhibition displaying works of renowned
Armenian-Lebanese painter Paul Guiragossian, his sons Emmanuel and
Jean Paul and his daughter Manuella, opened its doors yesterday at
Anima Gallery at The Pearl Qatar. Until February 28, the ‘The Family’
exhibition will feature 17 paintings – all of which have the human
element in common -with a price range from QR3,650 to QR328,500. The
show comprises four pieces by Paul Guiragossian, which he painted
between 1980 and 1987, another six pieces by Manuella, painted in 2010
and 2012, four by Emmanuel painted in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and three
by Jean Paul painted in 2001 and 2008. Paul Guiragossian (1926-1993)
was born in a family of artists. He was the first artist to do a solo
show in Beirut and also exhibited collectively in Europe, the United
States, Armenia, Belorussia, and Arab countries such as Egypt, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait and Syria.

Among his five children, three pursued a career in art. Emmanuel, the
eldest, is a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, publisher and
musician. He belongs to a sixth generation of artists and grew up
influenced by his grandmother’s stories about the war. The other son,
Jean Paul, has also worked very lively throughout the years,
participating in numerous collective exhibitions in Berlin, Tokyo,
Paris, Madrid, New York, London and Los Angeles. Manuella, the
youngest of the siblings taking part in the exhibition, has
concentrated mainly in animations and had her first solo exhibition in
1989. In 2011, she established the Paul Guiragossian Foundation. At a
press briefing to launch the exhibition, Manuella Guiragossian said
that the artist can contribute to help people in suffering with a
positive approach to the problems that impact human life. “It’s
important for me to take positivity, inspire others and bring hope,”
she added. The family has one big studio in Lebanon where they discuss
how to improve their work. Both Paul and Emmanuel paintings are mainly
about the human condition, while Jean Paul paints about injustice
towards women and nature. It’s the first joint exhibition for the
Guiragossian’s and also the first one for all of them in Doha. Jean
Paul said that at first it was difficult for them to say yes to the
proposal of curator Ghada Sholy of Anima Gallery. However, “she chose
the paintings perfectly, selecting those that were connected without
competing with each other,” he added. The Peninsula

From: Baghdasarian

Cihan News Agency (CNA) – Turkey
January 7, 2013 Monday

Historic Turkish-Armenian building in Gaziantep turned into city museum

ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- A historic building, Bayazhan, in the southeastern
province of Gaziantep, which was jointly constructed by Turkish and
Armenian partners 115 years ago, has turned into a city museum after
undergoing renovation, the Armenian Agos weekly reported on Monday.

The building was constructed by Bayaz Ahmet Aga, a tobacco dealer, and
his Armenian partner whose name was not revealed by the daily.
According to the Agos report, the construction of the building lasted
for six years and when Gaziantep was occupied by the British during
World War I, the building was used as a military headquarters.

The building was purchased from the Bayaz family by Gaziantep
Metropolitan Municipality in 2005 and a project was launched for the
building’s restoration. Bayazhan was restored by the Housing
Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI).

There are 20 sections in the museum which include information and
portraits on a wide range of issues about Gaziantep, the city’s
lifestyle, social life, cuisine, traditional clothing and sports
events.

An audio guide also provides information to visitors about the history
of the building during their visit to the museum.

From: Baghdasarian

Qatar News Agency
January 16, 2013 Wednesday 10:46 AM EST

Armenia Ready For Automobile JV With Iran

Tehran, January 16 (QNA) – Armenia is ready to set up a joint venture
with Iran’s automobile industry, a senior provincial official has
said.

Governor-General of Armenia’s Syunik province Suren Khachatrian made
the remarks in a meeting with Governor-General of East Azarbaijan
Alireza Beigi in Tabriz, a Fars news agency report said.

“Syunik province can pave the way for the presence of East
Azarbaijan’s auto industry in global markets by setting up assembly
lines of Iranian cars,” Khachatrian said.

He noted that the two countries have considerable capacities for
boosting and reinvigorating their joint investments.

Armenia is a member of the World Trade Organization and its Gross
Domestic Product is $9.4 Billion. Armenia’s per capita income is
$5,700 and the volume of foreign investment in the country is $570
Million, Fars said. (QNA)

SSS,LY

From: Baghdasarian

Mediamax, Armenia
Jan 15 2013

Former Armenian president Kocharyan interviewed on upcoming poll

[Mediamax] Mr. Kocharyan, the public expected you to take part in
presidential elections [on 18 February], but it did not happen. Why
did you decide so and how do you assess the current political
situation in the country?

[Kocharyan] The political situation is so dull that the only reason
for this interview is my promise to give it. Of course, I know that
there were some expectations of my possible participation in upcoming
elections. Although I have never spoken of my intention to participate
in elections, anyhow I deem it necessary to give some explanations. I
would single out three circumstances which forced me to refrain from
returning to active politics.

First: the fight for power between two natives of Karabakh, long-time
companions, was unacceptable for me. It would make it difficult for
many people to make a choice and would become a topic for various
speculations. Besides, I myself have chosen the incumbent president
[Serzh Sargsyan] as a successor, and his desire to run for the second
term is understandable.

Second: I would not like to participate in the formation of a format
of three presidents fighting for power [another former president,
Levon Ter-Petrosyan had also considered standing but opted not to],
which is extremely unpleasant, and I believe very harmful for the
country.

Third: the search for a political compromise in Armenia has
transformed into small-retail political bargaining. This is not what I
would like to spend my time, knowledge and experience on.

These factors are certainly not fundamental, but I think they are very
weighty from emotional and ethic points of view. This is why I gave
brief interviews and only in cases when it would be simply impossible
not to react to the situation.

[Mediamax] And what about fundamental factors? In your previous
interviews you spoke about such factors as the migration, the economic
situation and political competition. How would you assess today’s
situation?

[Kocharyan] The fundamental factors unfortunately do not inspire
optimism as before. The population outflow from Armenia does not
reduce, and this is not a labour migration. The tendency is extremely
dangerous given a low birth rate and aging population. It is not
accidental that migration is called country’s health cardiogram.

The economy began to grow, but will it be a steady growth with
decreasing investments, and how much will it be conditioned by
increasing debt commitments? Even with an expected GDP growth of 7 per
cent in 2012 we will not reach the level of 2008 in comparable figures
(98 per cent), with over a three-fold increase in the ratio of public
debt to GDP (with the deteriorating structure of the debt). By the
way, the restoration of railway communication through Abkhazia, which
is quite possible after recent transformations in Georgia, could be a
serious positive stimulus for our economy.

As for the political competition, it became like a puppet show ahead
of elections, which cannot contribute to the effective work of
authorities and generates apathy in the society. It is well known that
without competition the authorities sleep peacefully but people, as a
rule, live badly.

It is extremely difficult to reverse these trends by measured efforts
of the government. They need something more, a mobilizing society
which would inspire hope and impel to act. I hope the authorities will
meet these challenges.

From: Baghdasarian